Insulating device for pipes, faucets, and the like



Aug. 25, 1953 s. FL WALKER INSULATING DEVICE FOR VPIPIEIS, FAUCETS, `AND THE LIKE Filed July 5, 1951 purposes.

`without requiring that Patented Aug. 25, 1953 Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INSULATING DEVICE FOR PIPES, FAUCETS,

AND THE LIKE Stanley F. Walker, Montgomery, la. Application July 5, 1951, Serial No. 235,316 3 Claims. Cl. 154-44) The present invention relates to improvements in cold insulating devices and, more specifically, to devices for preventing the freezing of water in plumbing equipment such as pipes, faucets, and the like.

One object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which can be attached easily and quickly to those parts of a plumbing system which are exposed to the danger of freezing during the winter season, as for instance to pipes and faucets outdoors or in unheated parts partially or entirely, easily and quickly, and without exposing the operator to the danger of cutting his fingers on sharp edges of dove-tail connections or the like, for making faucets and the like accessible at the end of the cold season, or for inspection or maintenance present invention is the the character described which will safely protect all kinds of piping, irrespective of whether it is straight, angular, T- shaped, curved, or the like, from freezing damage parts of the installation be changed or removed and reinstalled.

A further object of the present invention `is the provision of a device of the character described Which is simple in construction and comparatively inexpensive, but which is also durable, vermin-proof, sturdy, and of aY pleasing outer appearance.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the

other object of the inventlon consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of partswithout departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the 'preferred forms of the invention have been shown.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a preferred embodiment of my invention as it appears in connection with a straight pipe and a faucet;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view elbow pipe; and,

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the sever-al views.

of Fig. 1 of a so-called In the drawing the numeral 2 denotes c) -n a straight pipe to one end a faucet 4.

insulating material, whose innerside 1s: in spaced faucet 4, the casing I8 can be made of one piece, otherwise it is made preferably as a pair of shells.

The shells I2 and |14 of each pair of shells can be held together by any suitable means. Howof my invention in the manner shown in Fig. 3, Where grooves in the manner shown in Fig. 3 and hold the pairs of shells I2 and I4 together. found that this arrangement is highly practical and economical, that it holds the pairs of shells tightly together because the clamp members 28 always are somewhat resilient, irrespective of Whether they are of which is secured have been exposed to the elements for any length of time. After the casings have been dismantled for repair or inspection purposes of the pipe, or the like, they can be reassembled more easily and quickly than would be the case with ordinary screw connections.

The insulation as well as the casings obviously willr have to be shaped according to the shape of the piece A"o'f pipewh-i'ch they are to encompass. For instance, for'the elbow pipe'i, the insulating shells 3B and 32 and the casing shells 34 and .36 are elbow-shaped, or, for a T-piece pipe they are T-shaped, etc.

The extremities 38 of the adjoining parts 5122,. N, I8, 34 and 36 preferably are stepped, so that.

the adjoining casings interlock with each other.

I prefer also to make the adjoining .sectionsiof the straight edge portions of the shells stepped Vas at 40 (Fig. 3), s0 that the shells of each pair of shells are interlocked with each other.

'The shells -321 an`d"3'6 are heldtogether by the Asame flangedan'dgrooved edge and clamp arrangement asis shown in Fig. 3 for the shells ll2 vand -IT4. Y

Since certain changes maybe made in the vabove jarticle and diiTerent-embodiments of the invention could be made without departing 'from the scope thereof, itfis intended that -all matter contained in-'the i bove description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall'be interpreted" as illustrativeand not =in alimiting sense.

"Itis `also to be understood that 'the following Yclaims are intendedtofc'over all of the generic andspeciiic features-of the invention 'herein described, andY all statements of Vthe scope of the Vvinvention which as a matter 'of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thusffullydescribed my said invention,

what I# claim as newanddesire to secure by Letters rPatent is:

1. A device of the 'character described comprising a plurality of pairs of "shell members each of which has a main portion that is substantially semi-circular in cross section and has `at both'esides outwardly extending longitudinal Vflange portions each of which is ,provided adjacent said fmain portion with a longitudinal lgroove which is `serfii-circular in cross-section vandthe edge sections of said flange portion ad- ;jacent said groove Ybeing rounded,

resilient clamps engaging'saidgroovesof each'pair ofisaid shell members and holding the latter vtogether so thateach pair oisaid shell members is adapted Y 'for encompassing a ,portion of a pipe, and insulating material interposed between `the outer side Aof the pipe andthe innersides of 'saidshell Y members. Y

2. A device of the character .described comprising aplurality of `pairs of shell members each of which has a semi-circular main portionand :has at both sides outwardly from said fmain porpipe, and insulating material interposed between the outer side of the pipe and the inner sides of said shell members, each pair of shell memll'bersl'havingitssfends interlocked with the ends of adjoining pairs of shell members, and each shell `memberhaving its longitudinal edge portions interlocked with the edge portions of the other .shelliimembers of each pair of shell members.

3. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of rst'casings consisting of pairs of shell members eachlof'whichhas afmain portion that is substantially semi-'circular in crossese-ction andhas-at-both sides outwardly extending longitu'din'al V"flange lportions eah irif which is provided adjacent said main fportion `wit-)ha` longitudinalgroove which i'ssemi-lcirci-ilar in vcross-section land ftheedge sections; di `vsaid fla-nge portions -adjacent said groove *being rounded', a second casing one lend o'f which `is 4interloczke'd With'an endfoffoneof =sai`dfirs`t cas ings whileitsother endisprv'idedfwith1an-lin creased flange portion, a dome-shaped 'cap mem- 'iber detachably secured to 'the fla-nge "portion fof said second casing *being adapted ffor fencom- Vpassing a 'faucet r'esilient'fclamps engaging lsaid grooves of the shell members 'o'f' said'rst `casing and holding the same togetherL so Ythat 'each ipair of said shell members. lis adapted. "for -encompassing a portion of a pipe, and insulating ima.- vterial being provided at the jinn'er 'sides of' said 'casingsandlof said cap member, said shellfmem- Abers `having their ends interlockedwithithe ends 'of adjoiningrpairs or" shell members, fand 'each 'ReferencesfCited iny the '.le Yof :this lpaiment @UNITED-STATES PATENTS .Number Name Date X624,770 l vEioee AMay-9, 1899 631,867 .Beaver r. ,Augf29/l-899 .633,607 yOl\a,1ley Sept-26,1899

.2,324,181 Tulien .July 13, .1943 .2,532,587 Williamson. .DBC. 5,1950

FOREIGN `PTEN'IYS Number Country IDate 12,994 Great Britain Sept. 26,1887 

1. A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DISCRIBED COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF SHELL MEMBERS EACH OF WHICH HAS A MAIN PORTION THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY SEMI-CIRCULAR IN CROSS SECTION AND HAS AT BOTH SIDES OUTWARDLY EXTENDING LONGITUDINAL FLANGE PORTIONS EACH OF WHICH IS PROVIDED ADJACENT SAID MAIN PORTION WITH A LONGITUDINAL GROOVE WHICH IS SEMI-CIRCULAR IN CROSS-SECTION AND THE EDGE SECTIONS OF SAID FLANGE PORTION ADJACENT SAID GROOVE BEING ROUNDED, RESILIENT CLAMPS ENGAGING SAID GROOVES OF EACH PAIR OF SAID SHELL MEMBERS AND HOLDING THE LATTER TOGETHER SO THAT EACH PAIR OF SAID SHELL MEMBERS IS ADAPTED FOR ENCOMPASSING A PORTION OF A PIPE, AND INSULATING MATERIAL INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE OUTER SIDE OF THE PIPE AND THE INNER SIDES OF SAID SHELL MEMBERS. 